Flames of Fire
by linilya elf
Summary: Reed Richards' little sister has come to stay at the Baxter Building about a year after the accident. After just getting out of a bad relationship, how will she handle Johnny's womanizing ways, especially when Dr. Doom returns seeking vengence?
1. Meeting the Family Again

A/N: hey guys! this is my first F4 fanfic ever. i finally got to see the movie over christmas break and i absolutely loved it - especially johnny storm. so, naturally, i decided to write a story. you might have read my other two stories for LOTR - The World Forgotten (complete)and Remembering You and Me (in progress). My LOTR story will take priority over this story, so don't expect updates too often, but i will be working on it periodically. hope you enjoy it!

linilya elf

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Disclaimer: i don't own any of the F4 or any corresponding characters of Stan Lee's. i wish i owned chris evans. :sigh:

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Chapter 1 

New York. It was such a crazy city. Cayleigh Richards stared out of her new apartment window to the streets below and sighed. Apparently, this was going to be her permanent home. Not that the Baxter Building that her brother practically owned was so bad. There were at least ten floors taken with Reed's lab and adjoining bedrooms, bathrooms, living room, and kitchen. She just didn't like big cities too much. Besides, she was living with the Fantastic Four. Could she be any safer?

A loud crash came from the lab downstairs and she rushed to the door. Flinging it open, she hurried down the hall to the walkway that led around the lab. Standing in the main area of the lab were two men. One was humungous, rock-like, and rather intimidating. His skin seemed to be an orange kind of stone. He was bulky and strong, and all he wore was a pair of dark blue pants and a belt. The other was shorter, but muscular. His close cropped buzz cut hair was dirty blond, and his wide eyes were a piercing light blue. Clothed in a pair of sweatpants and an undershirt, his physique was clearly defined. Evidently, this man worked out. A lot. They seemed to be arguing over something.

"Aw, Ben! That was brand new!"

"Do I look like I care?" the rock-like man shouted, his voice gravelly and hoarse.

"I really couldn't tell you, Pebbles. Your facial expressions are kinda hard to read," the younger man replied, a cocky grin spreading over his boyish face.

"That's it, Torchy!"

Ah. So these two were Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm – the Thing and the Human Torch. Reed had told her all about his three friends in order to prepare her for living in the same building. After the accident in space almost a year ago, the four had come back with altered DNA and special powers. Reed, or Mr. Fantastic, could stretch his body to almost indefinite lengths. Susan, his fiancé and Johnny's sister, could form force fields and become invisible, hence the name the Invisible Woman. Ben had turned into this big stone-like, powerful Thing, doubling his size and mass. And Johnny was able to ignite his entire being with flame, reaching temperatures of supernova capacity. Once hot enough, he could fly. And from what she had heard, there was an intense, but familial relationship between the Thing and the Torch. It wasn't unusual for them to be arguing.

"Would you two stop it? Cayleigh's upstairs trying to sleep. She got in late last night," Reed broke in, hushing them.

"Cayleigh's here?" Ben asked. "When did she get in?"

"Two this morning."

Cayleigh smiled. "Give it up, Reed. I'm already awake."

Three faces turned upward and found her standing at the top of the stairs. Reed gave her a warm smile. Ben looked disbelieving. And Johnny looked…well…stunned. Despite the fact that she was still in her pajamas and, no doubt, her hair was a mess, she bounded down the steps and ran at Ben. She launched herself into his rocky arms and let herself be swung around in a couple circles.

"God, Ben. I've missed you so much," she said, glancing up at him.

"You two know each other?" Johnny really looked confused now.

"Of course. Reed and Ben were best friends through college. I had the biggest crush on Ben when I was ten years old," she explained.

Another grin crept across the younger man's face. "You had a ten year old girl crushing on you, Pebbles? That's so cute."

"I idolized him. He was with Reed all the time. Something that I wanted, but I was only a kid. I didn't understand half the things they talked about. But Ben spent time with Reed _and_ with me. He was my best friend." Cayleigh paused. "Of course, I am so over that now. He broke my heart."

"I did?" Ben asked.

"Yep. When you and Reed were going out to dinner. Reed was going with Sue, and you brought some girl with you to our house. Debbie, I believe her name was. You guys are engaged now, aren't you?"

Ben made a face. "Not anymore."

Cayleigh grimaced. "I'm sorry, Ben. Why? Because of this?" she asked, gesturing to his bulky frame. When Ben nodded, she scowled. "That's the biggest load of bull I've ever heard. She wasn't right for you, Ben. You know that, then?"

Reed broke in. "He _is_ dating again."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Some chick he met at a bar. Alicia, I think," Johnny said as he moved over to the door to open it for Sue who had just arrived with a bunch of shopping bags.

"At a bar, Ben?" Cayleigh questioned.

"Alicia's a sweetheart," Sue stated, setting some of the bags down. "I did some shopping for you because Reed said you didn't get to bring much with you. We're about the same size, so I hope it all fits."

"Thank you so much, Suzie."

"Whoa, wait a minute. Why am I the only one who does not know her yet?" Johnny asked, throwing his arms out as if to signal pause.

"Well, you were the only one who never went over to their house. She knew me because I dated Reed. And Ben was Reed's best friend. And obviously, Reed's her brother. She never met you," Sue replied.

"Oh." Johnny still looked befuddled.

"In which case, you should probably introduce yourself," she continued, glaring at him for his lack of manners.

"Right," he said, running his hand through his hair nervously. Then, he stuck his hand out for her and said, "Johnny Storm. Sue's brother."

"Cayleigh Richards. Reed's sister," she replied, shaking his hand. His skin felt unusually warm, almost hot, and she pulled her hand away quickly in shock. At the shocked look on his face, she stated, "You're hot."

Understanding flooded his face and he grinned. "Why thank you. So are…"

"Don't finish that sentence, Jonathan," Sue interrupted, glaring again. "We want Cayleigh to feel welcome and at home. Not scare her away with your harassment. She's going to be here for a while."

Cayleigh blushed profusely and lowered her gaze. "I think I'll go try on these clothes. Thanks again, Sue." She grabbed the bags and headed upstairs to her room.

Sue frowned at Johnny and smacked him on the arm. But he wasn't paying any attention. He was watching Cayleigh climb the steps. "Don't even think about it, Tinkerbell," Ben said lowly. "She's been through too much lately to deal with you."

"What? Who said I was going to do anything?"

The other three rolled their eyes. "We know how you are with the ladies, Johnny," Reed intoned, trying to be nice. "And I would appreciate it immensely if you would leave my little sister out of your list of former flames."

Johnny scowled, but said nothing before stalking off to his own room.

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yeah, a little short, but my second chappie's quite a bit longer. review and let me know what you think.


	2. Got Milk?

whew! don't know what happened there, but i ended up with chapter two in here twice on one page. well, i 've fixed that, so it's all better now. sorry!

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Disclaimer: dont own the F4, never will

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Chapter 2

What was it about Johnny Storm that made her stomach fill with butterflies? Maybe it was his adorable grin. Or perhaps it was the fact that you could see the powerful muscle beneath his shirt rippling with every move he made. But those seemed more likely to make her heart pound in her chest, rather than make butterflies. Maybe the butterflies came from the way he had looked her up and down when she came down the stairs in her tank top and pajama pants. Yes, that had to have been it.

But she had been warned well. According to Reed and Susan, Johnny was quite the "ladies' man" and never had any real intentions for any of the girls he dated. And there was quite a long list of girls. Indeed, he had been with at least six different people since the accident in some form of a relationship, not including the brief fling right before or the impromptu dates he came home with. Johnny was a rough and tumble kind of guy. And Reed had stated before, while trying to be polite about Sue's brother, Johnny left broken hearts in his wake, wherever he went. It was a warning, she was sure. Especially after what had happened to her before.

Robbie had seemed like such a sweet guy when they had first started dating. And Cayleigh thought she had been truly in love with him. She gave a hoarse laugh. Robbie was in jail now. Attempted rape, repeated assault and battery, and sexual harassment had been the charges. How was it that love could really be so blind? Johnny didn't seem anything like Robbie at the moment, but she knew now, things could change in a heartbeat. But could he actually hurt her like Robbie had? She shook her head, knowing she shouldn't get tangled up in anything. It was way too soon.

Taking out a pair of designer jeans from one of Sue's bags, she stripped down and tried them on. They fit pretty well – they were tight, but comfy, and they certainly accentuated the natural curves of her body. She looked at herself in the mirror and grinned. Oh, yes. She already loved New York.

She rummaged through the other bags, trying on everything as she went. She had to admit, Sue had a great eye for fashion. After detaching all the tags, she hung everything up in her new, _huge_, walk-in closet, and dressed herself in a pair of her favorite fitted sweatpants and a tank top. She drew her unruly red locks up into a tight ponytail. Her green eyes flashed as she gazed at herself in the mirror. Cayleigh let a smile split her face. Deciding against makeup for today, she simply washed her face with a damp washcloth and headed back downstairs.

Sue and Reed were just about the step into the elevator. "We have a meeting with the wedding planner. We'll be back later for dinner," Reed said, noting the questioning look on her face.

"Okay," she replied, nodding. "I can eat anything here, right?"

"Have at it, kid," he stated with a smile.

"Thanks."

Cayleigh slowly made her way to the kitchen, settling on some sort of cereal for breakfast. When she got there, she found Johnny digging in the fridge.

"Looking for something in particular?" she asked, quirking a brow.

Johnny spared her a glance and another one of his trademark smiles. "Just milk. I think Pebbles drank the last of it, though."

Cayleigh groaned. "Are you kidding? How am I supposed to eat cereal without milk?"

"_That_ is what I would like to know," Johnny grumbled. "Ben, did you finish off the milk this morning?" he yelled to the other side of the apartment.

"What of it?" Ben shouted back.

"Never mind," Cayleigh said. "We'll just have to go get some more."

"We?" Johnny inquired, looking to her.

"Well. We both want milk, right? So doesn't it make sense that one or both of us should go out to get it?"

Johnny gave her a skeptical glance. "You do know this is NYC, don't you?" When she nodded, he continued, "You have no idea where you're going, and I'd get mobbed. Now, what do you suggest we do?"

"You could tell me where to go…" she began.

"Or we could go incognito," he stated. He picked up his sunglasses off the counter.

"That's your disguise?" she asked, doubtful. "Sunglasses?"

"They work wonders," he replied, flashing a smile and offering his arm. "Shall we?"

"Shall we what?" Ben questioned, lumbering into the kitchen with a suspicious look on his face.

"Go get milk, Rocky, since you apparently drank all of it this morning," Johnny quipped. "So if you'll excuse us…"

Before Ben could say anything further, Johnny grabbed Cayleigh's hand and dragged her quickly to the elevator and pushed the button. The elevator bell rang and the doors slid open just as Ben made it into the foyer.

"Stay out of trouble, both of you!" he yelled as the doors closed.

Johnny tipped his shades down his nose and made a frustrated noise. "And you used to have a crush on him?"

Cayleigh giggled and looked away. "Yeah. A long time ago."

He looked at her for a couple of beats. "You don't have a boyfriend now, do you?"

"No," she replied, quietly.

Johnny stopped his line of questioning immediately. He could tell it was a sore topic with her, so he dropped it. They remained in an uncomfortable quiet until the elevator opened again on the first floor to the lobby of the Baxter. She followed him out in silence until they reached the parking garage. Johnny came to a stop in front of a red Porsche and pulled his keys out.

"This is your car?" she asked, staring at the expensive sports car.

"Yeah," he answered, smiling as she ran her hands over the exterior of the Carrera GT Cabriolet.

"Wow. And I thought my Scaglietti was cool."

"That Ferrari is yours?" Johnny murmured, just loud enough for her to hear, looking over to the green sports car next to Reed's SUV. "Sweet ride."

"I really wanted the Beamer K1200 S, but Daddy wouldn't even let me test drive it," she responded, sounding slightly disappointed.

"You like bikes?"

"Yeah. I was really hoping to get one for my birthday last year, but no dice."

"Would you rather ride on one to get the milk instead?" he asked, walking up to the bike parked next to the sports car. He pulled a helmet off the back seat and offered it to her.

"Really? This is yours too? Wow, I've really wanted one of these." She took the helmet and put it on, fumbling with the straps, trying to shorten them as she eyed the BMW, expensive no doubt. She recognized it as a K1200 RS.

Johnny slid his helmet on and turned his attention to her. "Need a little help?"

"I really should have done this before putting it on," she complained.

Johnny batted her hands away and grinned, then tightened the straps, clicking the buckle together when he was finished. His warms hands brushed against her throat briefly and heat radiated through her whole body. He whacked the helmet gently. "Feel lose?"

"No," she replied. "It's fine. Let's go."

Johnny swung his leg over the bike and situated himself, before motioning her to climb on behind him. Cayleigh glanced down at the body of the bike, looking for handles. There were none. As Johnny turned on the ignition, she leaned closer to him.

"What do I hold on to?"

"Use your imagination," he stated with a grin, over the sound of the engine revving up. He kicked off the ground, jerking the bike into motion, and Cayleigh had to quickly latch onto his waist to keep from falling off.

"I like the way you think," he quipped.

"Self-preservation," she returned, pulling herself closer to him and wrapping her arms around his lower torso. Johnny cut the corner coming out of the garage close, causing her to dig her fingers in to his abdomen. She could feel the powerful muscles rippling under her fingertips, and she grinned. _I wonder what he looks like with his shirt off_, she wondered.

He tore down the streets, headed toward the nearest quick mart, about ten minutes from the Baxter. New York drivers were crazy, it seemed. There were a couple moments along the way that Cayleigh wondered if they'd make it to the store alive, let alone back home. It appeared Johnny was one of the _better _drivers in the Big Apple. A frightening thought, indeed. They did, however, make it to the store in one piece. Conversely, Johnny's wonderful disguise of sunglasses did _not_ work.

A made-up, garishly dressed young woman pranced over as soon as they walked in the door. Her denims looked like they'd been painted on and her shirt was cut down so far that it left little to the imagination. She flashed Johnny a brilliant smile, completely ignoring Cayleigh. "Excuse me, but aren't you the Human Torch?"

Johnny only glanced up from the date on the milk jug momentarily the first time. He did a double take and looked back at her. His trademark grin spread over his face. "Why, yes, I am. And who might you be?"

Cayleigh rolled her eyes and sighed before grabbing the milk from Johnny's hands. If Johnny wanted to flirt with this brainless buffoon, that was perfectly fine, as long as he didn't tangle her up in it too. She vaguely heard the woman tell Johnny her name was Annalisa, but that he could call her _Annie_. Then she asked in a not so subtle way if Cayleigh was his girlfriend. She almost laughed at that – please. This woman was desperate.

Johnny _did_ laugh. He glanced at her and gave her a wink. "Not yet," he said, giving her a pouty, adorable look and blowing her a kiss. "No. Actually, Cayleigh and I are just friends."

Well, Annalisa didn't like that too much. In fact, she took it as her cue to start glaring daggers at Cayleigh. Apparently, she was a threat now, no longer ignorable. This was getting to be too much. All Cayleigh wanted was some milk for her cereal – not a confrontation.

"And we really need to go," Cayleigh added hastily, pulling Johnny towards the cash register. She handed the milk to the clerk and gave Annalisa a smile, before turning away to pay.

Johnny made sure he had Annalisa's phone number by the time she was ready to leave.

"Great disguise, Storm," she cracked as she hopped on the bike behind him. "Works wonders, does it?"

"Yeah. Chicks love it."

"If all it attracts is 'chicks' like that, then you better look for a different disguise."

"She was gorgeous," he argued.

"She was _trashy_, and she had just as much sense as the handle grip on this bike. You can do better than that, Johnny," she returned. "You're not really going to call her, are you?"

"Oh, I get it. You're jealous, aren't you?"

This time, Cayleigh did laugh. "Oh yeah. That's it. Honey, if I had a guy like her, I'd drop his butt so fast he wouldn't even know what hit him."

Johnny was quiet for a moment. "A guy like her? How would you describe her?"

"Slutty. She's probably been with so many guys, she can't even remember their names. She dresses like a whore. There's a difference between dressing offensively and dressing sexily. And she probably doesn't have enough common sense to get in out of the rain."

"So your ideal man would be…"

Cayleigh shot him a look from the back of the bike. "Why do you want to know, Mr. Annalisa is gorgeous?"

"Just curious."

"Well, he would have to be relatively smart. I would like to be able to carry on a decent conversation with him. He shouldn't have a list of exes that's longer than my grocery list. A sense of humor would be nice. Romantic, sweet, thoughtful, maybe a little protective, but not obsessive…not like Robbie," she added as an afterthought.

"Who's Robbie?" Johnny immediately picked up.

"Never mind," she quickly responded. "It's no one."

Johnny remained silent after that. It was really hard for him to think with the noise from the engine rattling around in his helmet, but he assumed that Robbie was an ex-boyfriend. And apparently, he had done something that Cayleigh didn't want to talk about. Maybe that was what Ben had been talking about earlier this morning. He wasn't sure, but he certainly planned to find out. And if he was going to win Cayleigh over, he was going to have to leave behind his days of jumping from woman to woman. He could do it – couldn't he?


End file.
